Heel-blank building



I. E. MITCHELL AND D. PARKS.

HEEL BLANK BUILDING.

APPLICATION FILED DEC23, 1920.

Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

JN VENTO/es:

John Mik/622.

.5 Pa. As.

Q23? BY W A TTORNE KS. I

J. E. MITCHELL AND D. PARKS.

HEEL BLANK BUILDING.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.23. 1920.

1,399,508, Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

John E. Mite/bell.

Den nis Pap/(9 A TTOR NE V53 .HEEMBLANEI BULDINGL innesca Specification ofr'ilettcrs dEatent.

Application filed December 23. 1920. Serial No. 432,595.

employment of a novel method to be 'followed preferably by the use of said machine, whereby heel-blanks may be assembled and `forced into a log-holder, a separating memberbeingdisposed between the heel-blanks, and the l'Jeel-blanlrs and separating members being successively separated from the endet the lo@l and returned to a position within the reach of theoperator. By the use of such a machine, and by the practice oi such a method, it is made possible to reduce the number of separating plates employed to the minimum, because the returned separating members may be continuously re-used.

rlhe general method involved is set forth in patents ont Dennis Parks, No. 1,383,846, July 5, 1921, and No. 1,381,735, `lune 14, 1921. ln the commercial practice of these methods, as well as in other instances Vin the-prior art where heel-blanks are maintained `in column formation in., a log-holder until the setting oil the pastebetween the lifts, the lop;- hclder extends` downward, and frequently throng-rh an opening` in the `iloor `where the operator buildsthe Hheels,to a lower floor, or, in some cases, itmay extend through two or three doors. The use ot such log-holders necessitates the-employment oi' quite a large number oit separating members which, in the present case, and in the case of the Parks methods reierredto, are of the `generaliorm illustrated'in the llarlrs Patent No. 1,381,735. This is due to the *fact that witha relatively long' log-holder, a large number ot separatinc; members will be embodied in the log` betere the heel-blanks will begin to be discharged from the lower end oif the holder. lli/here the logdiolder entends through one or more iloors, considerable time must elapse before a suilicient number of the members have been collected on the lower floor to warrant a helper in making ajtrip to the upper licor to return them to the operator. These separating members are of metal and as dit ferent sizes of sepamtinp,` members must be employed for vdifferent sizes oi' heel-blanks,

`the `number or these separating members which must ordinarily be maintained in stock, especially where a number of machines `are employed, is very considerable, and has proven quite obj ectionable.

The objection above alluded to has been overt-miie by the machine involved in the sul jectunatter ot' the present invention, in which the log-holder is constructed so as to return the blanks to the operator; in the present instance it is disposed upwardly instead of downwardly and is provided with a return bend and an extension terminating near the operator whereby, as stated above, the iinished `heel-blanks and separating members will be continuously returned to a position within the reach of the operator, so that the `same separatingmembers .may be used over and over again; and as the logeholder need not be' of any `considerable length, only `a relatively small number or separating members need `be employed.

rlhe invention is illustrated in the accom- L u, 'ng drawing, in which- Figure is a view partly in elevation and partly in section `ci. a machine constructed according to the iinvention; and

big. 2 is a-view in front elevation of the machine, a part thereof being,` broken away to bettorillustrate the construction.

I Referringnow to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the base of the machine fro A1 which entends an upright trarne 2 in closing or supporting the main elements of 'he machine. Mounted in the upper part of the traine 2 is a .drive shalt 3 provided with ar pulley Ll which is driven from a belt 5 from any' suitable source of power. Mounted on the shalt 3 is an eccentric 6, carrying an eccentric strap 7, and eccentric rod 8 producing certain operations hereinafter described.

rthe itu-ward side oit the traine 2 in its ,constructedzas to `offer a resistance to the passoire tot the los?. rlfhis is accomplished by means of a lateral extension preferably in the form ola return-bend. rlhe log-holder upper portion is shaped to provide two i# may extend upwardly in an inclined direction. The breast-plate 12 constitutes the lower member of the log-holder and at its upper end there is secured to its underside, an upwardly curved or upwardly directed extension 14, the upper end of which forms the upper terminus of a chute 15 open on its upper side and securedin any suitable manner, as by being bolted to the upper side of the log-holder 11 and extending from the curved member 14 to a point near the lower end of the log-holder. Secured over the Vchute 15 at any convenient distance therefrom, is a cover plate 16, the same being secured to the chute 15 by light frames 17.

' Near its lower end on its underside,A the cover plate is provided with a pivoted plate or swinging door 18 extending down into 'the chute 15, and normally resting on the bottom thereof, the purpose of which is to .retard the movement Aof the heel-blanks as Ysion 14. The lower end of the trough is closed and its lower end portion is enlarged so as to form a chamber as indicated at 19 in Fig. 2, to accommodate a number of heelblanks and separating members.

Pvotally mounted at 20 is an actuating member in the form of a lever 21 composed of two parallel bars between the upper ends of which is pivotally mounted a slide-block 22 provided at its upper end with an upstanding flange or plate 23 against which the lifts are built up. A suitable mark or other indication (not illustrated) is provided on the breast plate 12 adjacent to the plate 23 to determine the height to which the heelblank is to be built up. Extending over the log-holder 11 and secured thereto about centrally of its length is a yoke or saddle 24 to which is pivotally secured one arm of a bellcrank lever 25 that is pivoted on the frame 2. The other arm of saidlever is connected to one end of, a rod 26, the opposite end of which extends through the lower frame-support 10 and is screwthreaded to receive an end screw 27. -By turning this end screw, the bell crank may be adjusted in one direction or the other to raise or lower the back plate 13 relative to the breast plate 12 of the log-holder to vary the cross-sectional area thereof in accordance with the size of the heel-blank'being built at any given time. Secured on the lower end of the eccentric rod 8 before referred to, is a dog-frame or yoke 28 providing an opening or wide slot 29 lfor receiving a lug 30 projecting fromthe side of the lever 2l at its upper portion, and theupper end 31 of the frame is enlarged or offset downwardly so as to form a shoulder 32. Mounted on the underside of the yoke 28 near the lower end thereof is a friction reller 33. Pivotally mounted substantially centrally of its length on a cross rod 34, is a bell-crank lever 35 having a depending arm 36 to the lower end of which is pivotally connected a pull rod 37, the other end of the pull rod being pivotally connected to a throw-lever 38 secured at its lower end on a rock shaft 39 mounted in bearings 40 on the base 1. Pivotally mounted on thc shaft 39 is a controlling lever to be operated at au will. This may be in the form of a treadle 41 provided at its inner end with dogs 42 and 43, one or the other of which is adapted to engage one end of a pawl 44 pivotally mounted at 45 on the side of the throw-lever :f3 38. If the operator is standing, the dog 42 will be placed in engagement with the pawl 44. If the operator is sitting, the dog 43 will be engaged with the pawl to raise the treadle into position convenient of access. The other arm 46 of the bell-crank lever 35 extends upwardly and forwardly in the general direction of the lever 21 when the latter is in its normal position, and is provided at its upper end, on opposite sides, with two pivoted hooks 47 which are adapted to engage a cross-bar 48 extending between the two arms of the lever 21.

In the operation of this machine it should be understood that the yoke or dog-frame 28 is constantly reciprocating. rl`he mechanism which is controlled by the treadle fl-1 is constructed in such a way that when the treadle is depressed, the lever 21 will be moved forwardly suiiiciently to enable the lug 30 to come opposite to the path of Inovement of the shoulder 32; and the construetion is such that when the lug comes into this position, the yoke 28 rises automatically so that the shoulder 32 will engage the lug 30, and the rest of the inward movement of the lever 21 will be performed by power` that is, automatically by the machine itself. In order to accomplish this we prefer to provide a guide which is flexibly held in position. In the normal position of this guide, the yoke 28 reciprocates in a dcpressed position, but when the treadle is actuated the guide moves upwardly or inwardly as the lever 21 is advanced by the treadle. This guide is preferably in the form of an arm 49, the inner end of which is pivoted at 50 to the upper end of the arm 46 of the bell-crank lever. The lower or outer end of this guide 49 is turned upwardly to form a cam 51. The arm 49 is actually a part of a bell crank lever, the short arm 52 of which extends along the edge of the upper end of the arm 46. A flexible and resilient connection is provided 130 l (l l) llt) heel-blanks temporarily maintained in column formation, which consists in advancing the column of blanks in stages in a right line and continuously forcing one end of the column of heel-blanks in a. curved path in such manner as to bodily deflect each blank in turn from the column without disturbing the relative positions of the assembled lifts composing the blank.

3. The method which conists in supporting a column of heel-blanks and separators in an inclined position, adding heel-blanks and separators insuccession at the lower end of the column, forcing the entire column upwardly after the addition of each heelblank and` separator, directing the upper end of the column laterally to effect detachment of the heel-blanks and separators in succession from the column, and permitting the. blanks and separators to return by gravity to a point near the lower end of the column. Y

4. In the art of heel-building, the method which consists in forming a column of heelblanks and interposed separators by successively forcing in alternation a heel-blank and a separator in anfupward directionthrough a zone of frictional resistance, separating each heel-blank and its separator from the column as they pass out of said zone, and eecting the return ofthe separators to the region of the initial operation.

5. In the art of heel-building, the method which consists in forming a column ofheell blanks and interposed separators by successively forcing in alternation a heel-blanl'f.' .and a separator in an upward direction Vthrough a zone of frictional resistance,

changing the direction of movement of said blanks and separators as they emerge from saidfzone and returning the separators to the region of the initial operation.

' 6. In the art of heel-building, the method which consists in forming a column of heel- .blanks and interposed separators by successively forcing in alternation a heel-blank and a separator in an upward direction through a zone of frict-ional resistance, causing the heel-blanks and separators to travel in a curved path as they emerge from said zone and thereby to be separated from said column, and returning said separators by gravity to the region of the initial operation.

7L In the art of heel-building, the method which consists in forming acolumn of heelblanks and interposed separators by successively forcing in alternation a heel-blank and a separator in an upward direction through a zone of frictional resistance, causing the heel-blanks and separating members to travel in an upwardly curved path as they emerge from said zone and thereby to be separated from said column, and simultaneously with such movement delivering the heel-blanks and separators detached from said column upon an inclined path whereby they may return by gravity to the region of the initial operation.

8. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a holder for a series of heelblanks and separators in column formation, means for forcing successive blanks and separators into the holder atene end thereof, and a lateral extension at the remote end of the holder for guiding the blanks and separators laterally and effecting their successive detachment from the column.

D. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a holder `for a series of heelblanks and separators in column formation, means for forcing the blanks and separators successively into the holder at one end thereof, a lateral extension at the remote end of the holder for guiding the blanks laterallyy and effecting their successive detachment from the column, and means for returning the separators t0 a point near the entrance end of the holder.

10. In a heel-building machine, the combination of a log-holder for receiving a column of heel-blanks and separators, means for forcing the blanks and separators into the holder at the feeding end thereof, an elbow guide disposed at the remote end of the holder for guiding the blanks and separators laterally, and means for effecting the return of the heel-blanks and separators to aY point near the feeding end of the logholder.

il. In a machine of the class described, the combination of an upwardly inclined holder for a series of heel-blanks and sepa` rat-ors in column formation, means for forcing the blanks and separators successively into the holder at the lower .y end thereof, a lateral extension at the upper end of the holder for guiding the blanks laterally and effecting their successive detachment from the column, and means for returning the detached separators to a point near the lower end of the holder.

12. In a heel-building machine, the combination of an upwardly inclined log-holder, a heel-blank forcing member disposed adjacent the lower end of the log-holder, means for moving the same to successively force heel-blanks and separators into the logholder, means at the upper end of the logholder for guiding the heel-blanks and sepa` rators laterally, and a chute for returning the separators thereafter to a point near the lower end of the log-holder.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands.

JOHN E. MITCHELL. DENNIS PARKS. 

